# LinkedIn Boolean search for software engineers > A ready Boolean string for software engineers, with recruiters left out. For Recruiter. Free, no signup. Runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to us. **Boolean search for software engineers. A ready string for LinkedIn Recruiter, no signup.** Use it at https://tools.joinvalley.co/linkedin-boolean-search-software-engineers Part of the [LinkedIn Boolean search builder](https://tools.joinvalley.co/linkedin-boolean-search). ## What's the Boolean string for software engineers on LinkedIn? Every title it covers, and what it leaves out. In Recruiter, paste this into the job titles filter: ("Software Engineer" OR "Software Developer" OR "Backend Engineer" OR "Frontend Engineer" OR "Full Stack Engineer" OR "Full Stack Developer") NOT (recruiter OR talent OR intern OR manager). It covers 6 ways people write the title and leaves out recruiter, talent, intern, manager. | Title | In or out | Why | | --- | --- | --- | | Software Engineer | In | The most general title. | | Software Developer | In | The same job, other wording. | | Backend Engineer | In | Specialists who may not say software in their title. | | Frontend Engineer | In | Same. | | Full Stack Engineer | In | Same. | | Full Stack Developer | In | LinkedIn matches a quoted phrase exactly, so each wording needs its own entry. | | recruiter | Out | Technical recruiters often put the roles they hire for in their titles. | | talent | Out | Same, for talent acquisition titles. | | intern | Out | Keeps out interns. | | manager | Out | Leaves out engineering managers. Remove it to include them. | Our picks, not LinkedIn's. Add or remove titles in the builder above and the string updates. Sources: [LinkedIn Help: Use Boolean search on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a524335) (read 2026-10-30), [LinkedIn Help: Use Boolean to filter search results in Recruiter and Recruiter Lite](https://www.linkedin.com/help/recruiter/answer/a415295) (read 2026-10-30) ## How it works The builder opens on our software engineers list for Recruiter: 6 title variants and 4 titles to leave out. Edit any of them, switch product, or add keywords, and the string updates. Everything runs in your browser, and nothing you type is sent to us. Quotes, parentheses and capital operators go in for you, following LinkedIn's Boolean rules, and the checker below the builder flags anything LinkedIn won't read the way you meant. ## Engineers, without the recruiters. And where skills go. Recruiter reads Boolean in titles, companies and keywords, each in its own filter. ### Titles in Job titles, skills in Keywords Recruiter reads Boolean in the Job titles, Companies and Keywords filters. Put this string in Job titles and languages or frameworks in Keywords, such as (Python OR Golang). Sources: [LinkedIn Help: Use Boolean to filter search results in Recruiter and Recruiter Lite](https://www.linkedin.com/help/recruiter/answer/a415295) (read 2026-10-30) ### Must have, Can have, Doesn't have Recruiter's filter options map to Boolean: Must have is AND, Can have is OR, Doesn't have is NOT. A pasted string and the options do the same job. Sources: [LinkedIn Help: Use Boolean to filter search results in Recruiter and Recruiter Lite](https://www.linkedin.com/help/recruiter/answer/a415295) (read 2026-10-30) ### No cap on operators in Recruiter Recruiter and Recruiter Lite have no limit on Boolean operators, so a long list of titles and skills is fine. Sales Navigator stops at 15. Sources: [LinkedIn Help: Boolean Query Limitations](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a524411/boolean-query-limitations) (read 2026-10-30) ## Sources - [LinkedIn Help: Use Boolean search on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a524335) (read 2026-10-30) - [LinkedIn Help: Using Boolean Search on Sales Navigator](https://www.linkedin.com/help/sales-navigator/answer/a168061) (read 2026-10-30) - [LinkedIn Help: Use Boolean to filter search results in Recruiter and Recruiter Lite](https://www.linkedin.com/help/recruiter/answer/a415295) (read 2026-10-30) - [LinkedIn Help: Boolean Query Limitations](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a524411/boolean-query-limitations) (read 2026-10-30) ## Questions people ask ### What's a Boolean string for software engineers? ("Software Engineer" OR "Software Developer" OR "Backend Engineer" OR "Frontend Engineer" OR "Full Stack Engineer" OR "Full Stack Developer") NOT (recruiter OR talent OR intern OR manager), in LinkedIn Recruiter's Job titles filter. ### How do I search for software engineers in LinkedIn Recruiter? Paste the title string into Job titles, add languages or frameworks in Keywords, and leave out recruiters so their titles don't flood the results. ### Why leave out recruiters when sourcing engineers? Technical recruiters often put the roles they hire for in their titles, so they show up in an engineer search. ### Is there a limit on Boolean operators in LinkedIn Recruiter? No. LinkedIn says Recruiter and Recruiter Lite have no limit on the number of Boolean operators in a search. ## Related tools - [LinkedIn Boolean search builder](https://tools.joinvalley.co/linkedin-boolean-search): Builds Boolean strings for LinkedIn, Sales Navigator and Recruiter, and fixes broken ones. - [LinkedIn X-ray search builder](https://tools.joinvalley.co/linkedin-x-ray-search): Builds a Google search that finds LinkedIn profiles by job title, company and city. - [Email permutator](https://tools.joinvalley.co/email-permutator): Lists every likely work email for a name and company, and checks the domain takes mail. ## Next step Want replies, not just clean copy? Valley finds buyers showing real buying signals and messages them across email and LinkedIn. [Valley](https://www.joinvalley.co/?utm_source=tools_suite) Shelf: [01 Data and prospecting](https://tools.joinvalley.co/data-and-prospecting) --- Tools by Valley, made by [Valley](https://www.joinvalley.co/?utm_source=tools_suite). HTML version: https://tools.joinvalley.co/linkedin-boolean-search-software-engineers